The invention relates to a device for automatically supplying a predetermined amount of feed to an animal for a predetermined period of time, the point of time that the feed is supplied being recorded.
Such a device is known from the French Demande de Brevet D""Invention Publication No. 2.623.688, of Jun. 2, 1989. In this known device, when supplying feed, the amount of feed previously supplied is taken into account. However, due to the fact that an animal may be jostled by another from the feeding parlor, the animal so jostled does not consume the balance of the feed and receives a supply of feed which is incorrect.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device for automatically supplying a predetermined amount of feed to an animal in a predetermined period of time so that the supply of feed over said predetermined period, for example one day, is provided accurately and efficiently. By this it is meant, inter alia, that no unnecessary waste of feed occurs and, at the same time, sufficient nutritive substances are supplied to the animal.
According to the invention, for that purpose a device of the above-described type comprises means for measuring the amount of feed actually consumed by each identified animal and when the consumption by an identified animal is insufficient, then making up the difference to ensure that each animal receives the correct amount of feed. -Due to this there is created as it were a time window preceding the momentary visit of an animal and it is determined how much feed in total the animal has actually consumed in that time window, i.e. the predetermined period of time, which period may be for example one day. Consequently, in contrast with the state of the art, when supplying feed, the actually consumed amount and not the amount of feed supplied is taken into account. When the difference between said predetermined amount of feed and the consumed amount is positive, additional feed is supplied to the animal. The maximum amount of feed which is thus supplied to the relevant animal is smaller than or equal to that difference. The invention is further based on the insight that the predetermined amount of feed to be supplied to an animal need not be related only to a predetermined period of time, but that the period can also be determined by the number of animals having made use of the feeding parlor, or by another variable comprising a time aspect.
Accordingly, the invention also relates to a device for automatically supplying a predetermined amount of feed to an animal in a predetermined period, the device being provided with a feeding parlor, with animal identification means for identifying an animal present at the feeding parlor, with a computer for controlling the device for automatically supplying the feed to the feeding parlor, characterized in that the device is provided with means for determining the amount of feed consumed by an animal after receiving a supply of feed, said amount being stored at least temporarily in a memory of the computer, in that the computer is provided with a calculating device for determining the total amount of feed consumed by an animal during the predetermined period immediately preceding the momentary point of time when the animal is identified by the animal identification means at the feeding parlor, in that the calculating device determines the difference between said predetermined amount of feed and said total amount of feed consumed by the animal, and in that the computer controls the device in such a way that during the momentary supply of feed an amount of feed smaller than or equal to the difference can be supplied to provide the feed balance to the animal.
It is possible to supply the feed balance to the animal in one time. However, this has the disadvantage that an animal may not consume the entire feed balance, for example due to the fact that it is jostled from the feeding parlor by another animal. Accordingly, in an embodiment of a device according to the invention, the computer controls the device in such a way that the feed balance is supplied to the animal in portions. When a feed portion is not consumed by the relevant animal, the computer is capable of controlling the relevant components in such a way that no possible further feed portions are supplied.
Depending on the measurement accuracy of the relevant device it is preferred that a feed portion have at least a minimum feed size. As a result thereof measurement errors which would provide portion sizes which are too small and which may result in an inaccurate feeding are at least avoided to a considerable extent.
Although the feed portion size may be provided with a previously adjusted value, it is preferred that the calculating device of the computer calculates the size of the feed portions. As a result thereof the feed portion size can be adjusted for each animal, possibly depending on the prevailing circumstances. It appears to be extremely suitable when the calculated feed portion size is approximately 5% of the feed balance.
In order not to discourage an animal from going to the feeding parlor, in an embodiment of a device according to the invention, the computer is provided with a comparing device for comparing the calculated feed portion size with the minimum feed portion size, while, when the comparison result indicates that the calculated feed portion size is smaller than the minimum feed portion size, the computer controls the device in such a way that the minimum feed portion size is supplied to the animal. Thus there is always supplied a minimum feed portion to the animal.
Depending on grazing or, when the animal is a dairy animal, depending on the last time when the dairy animal has been milked or the time when it is expected to be milked again, or if based on a combination of the foregoing considerations it may be determined that the animal should not be fed. In an embodiment of a device according to the invention, this is provided by including a blocking period in the memory, the computer thus only controlling the device for supplying feed to the animal after, counted from the last point of time that feed was supplied to the animal, the blocking period has elapsed. Said blocking period may have a fixed value or be dynamic., i.e. variable, for example animal-dependent, season-dependent, lactation-period-dependent and the like. It should be noted that the invention is particularly advantageous when no grazing takes place.
In order to be able to check whether the animal actually visits the feeding parlor for eating, when an animal is detected by the animal identification means at the feeding parlor, the computer controls the device in such a way that first one minimum feed portion size is supplied to the animal. When, after the supply of said feed portion the animal leaves the feeding parlor, no further portions are supplied. This has also the advantage that an animal can eat immediately and does not have to wait too long until the relevant feed has been composed.
Also when an animal does not consume feed during its visit to the feeding parlor, it is advantageous that the computer stores the points of time when an animal leaves the feeding parlor in the memory. Said points of time may for example be used for behavioral study, but may also be an indication about the state of health of the animal.
In a further embodiment of a device according to the invention, the means for determining an amount of feed consumed by an animal after a supply of feed comprises measuring means for measuring the weight of the feed in the feeding parlor. The measuring means may comprise a weighing device for weighing the amount of feed in the feeding parlor, although other means, such as picture recognition equipment, may also be applied. It is then also possible that the computer stores data in relation to the remaining feed in a feeding parlor in its memory. The calculating device can take this value for the remaining feed into account when determining the feed balance of a relevant animal. The feed balance is determined, in particular, as being the difference between said predetermined amount of feed and said total amount of feed consumed reduced by the amount of remaining feed.
In order to take remaining feed present in a feeding parlor further into account, in an embodiment of a device according to the invention, the computer is provided with a comparing device for comparing the amount of remaining feed with a minimum threshold value, the computer controlling the device for supplying feed to the feeding parlor only when the comparison indicates that the amount of remaining feed is below the minimum threshold value.
The device is preferably suitable for automatically supplying several types of feed to an animal in a predetermined period. The device may then be provided with a mixing device for mixing the feed types before they are supplied to the feeding parlor. Alternatively the computer controls the device in such a way that at least one kind of feed or preferably all the types of feed are supplied at least substantially separately from the other types of feed to the feeding parlor.
In order immediately to supply feed to an animal reporting for the first time at a feeding parlor of a device provided with several feeding parlors, the computer controls the device in such a way that first feed is supplied to that feeding parlor where an animal has been identified most recently by the animal identification means.
The device according to the invention is preferably provided with at least one milking compartment with a milking robot for automatically milking a dairy animal, the milking compartment being provided with a feeding station with a feed trough. Alternatively or additionally the device is provided with at least one feeding column (placed outside the milking compartment) with a feed trough. When the device comprises both at least one milking compartment and at least one feeding column, the computer in particular controls the collective supply of feed by the feeding station or stations and the feeding column or columns in such a way that the predetermined amount of feed is supplied to an animal during a predetermined period. This is particularly advantageous when grazing does not take place.
In a further embodiment of a device according to the invention, the feeding station or the feeding column, or both, are suitable for automatically supplying at least two kinds of feed, the device being provided with parameter-measuring means for measuring a momentary value of a variable parameter (animal-dependently or animal-independently) and for issuing a parameter value signal to the computer, the computer controlling the feeding station or the feeding column or both by means of a control signal so that types of feed are supplied in a particular amount and in a particular ratio collectively as a mixture, the computer being provided with a processing device for processing the parameter value signal into the control signal. This embodiment of a device according to the invention is based on the insight that the feed intake of the animals appears to depend on certain varying circumstances. Further, for example the amount and the quality of milk produced by a dairy animal appear to depend on certain varying circumstances. According to the invention this is improved by automatically measuring, with the aid of parameter-measuring means, the momentary value of such a circumstance, called the variable parameter, and by processing the corresponding parameter value signal into the control signal. Thus it is possible to take a change in the parameter automatically into account when supplying feed. Moreover, this may make it more attractive for an animal to consume fore feed.
The parameter measuring means are selected, in particular, from the group composed of atmospheric-condition measuring means for measuring the atmospheric conditions, a clock for measuring the point of time of the day, a clock for measuring the period of the year, means for measuring the condition score of an animal, means for determining for each animal the eating rate for each type of feed, means for measuring the milk yield for each animal, means for measuring the amount of protein or fat or minerals or amino acids and the like, including any combination thereof, in the milk obtained from that animal, and means for measuring the amount of each type of feed consumed by an animal.
In an advantageous embodiment of a device according to the invention, the feeding station or the feeding column or both are provided with a receptacle, the conveying means comprising a first conveyor for conveying an amount of feed from the hopper to the receptacle and a second conveyor for conveying the amount of feed from the receptacle to a feed trough. The receptacle is preferably provided with a weighing device for measuring feed present in the receptacle. This makes it possible to determine the amount of feed to be supplied to the feed trough.
Although the feed can be taken out of the receptacle by means of a separate taking-out device, for the sake of simplicity of the construction it is advantageous when a separate taking-out device is not used. A tiltable receptacle may be used, feed falling from said receptacle after the latter has been tilted. However, for improving the hygienic use of the feeding station or the feeding column, or both, it is preferred when the receptacle has a bottom which is designed to be opened. The receptacle is preferably provided with a control device for controlling the opening of the bottom. It has appeared to be particularly suitable when the second conveyor is constituted by a tube-shaped chute or a channel-shaped chute.
In order to prevent an animal waiting at a feeding trough after having been fed, in an embodiment of a device according to the invention, the feed trough is constituted by a feed trough capable of being closed by a closing means, the control device also being suitable for controlling the operation of the closing means.
In a further embodiment of a device according to the invention, the predetermined length of the period is animal-dependent or lactation-period-dependent or season-dependent or weather-dependent, or any combination thereof. As a result an optimal supply of feed is provided for each animal.